


i will cling, i will clutch (all our days)

by mooksie01



Series: Fair Game Week 2020, Except It's All Late :) [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alpha Clover Ebi, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Babies, Background Bees, C12 is alluded to but I fixed it, Canon-Typical Violence, Domestic, Emotional Baggage, Fair Game Week (RWBY), Flashbacks, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mild Smut, Minor Character Death, Mpreg, Omega Qrow Branwen, Past Character Death, Please Let Them Be Happy Send Tweet, Post-Canon, Post-Defeat of Salem (RWBY), Pregnancy, Team as Family, again alluded to but not explicit, but i try to keep it as non-graphic as possible, but it's really just alluded to, but there's nothing too bad in here, individual chapter warnings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 00:21:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29833167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mooksie01/pseuds/mooksie01
Summary: Posted as part of LAST YEAR'S Fair Game Week Day Three: FamilyQrow Branwen has never wanted pups of his own.Or, at least, that's what he'd like people to think. Thing is, it's a complete lie. In truth, he's wanted a family for as long as he can remember. And after everything—after Salem, after the War, after nearly losing Clover—maybe, just maybe, he'll finally get it. But he can't help but wonder if he deserves it.A collection of snapshots following Qrow's journey toward building his family (or, rather, adding onto it; after all, he's already got nine nieces and nephews).
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s), Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Series: Fair Game Week 2020, Except It's All Late :) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1668370
Comments: 26
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! Long time no see! So, rather than working on this year's Fair Game Week or maybe one of the fics that I've had in the works for over a year, I instead spent the past two weeks hyper-focusing on this fic and doing nothing else, and this is the result! It's all already finished, so I'll be uploading about a chapter a week—maybe more, if I feel like it. I hope you like it!
> 
> I also hope to see you all during FGW this year, even as I continue to post extremely late works for last year's prompts. 
> 
> As a blanket notice, this fic does feature (vague) a/b/o-style mpreg and depictions of pregnancy that, while certainly not graphic or over-detailed, are still here! So, if that's not your cup of tea, please be aware! Otherwise, specific warnings will be at the beginning of each chapter. 
> 
> With all of that said, please enjoy!!! I'd love it if you'd drop me comments / kudos if you're able! (Be gentle, I'm a tender soul.)
> 
> \---
> 
> ~WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER~  
> None

“Did you ever want pups, Uncle Qrow?”

It was another gloomy day in Mantle.

Qrow choked a little, forcing his eyes away from where he’d been watching a woman help her toddler into a big, puffy winter coat, wrapping scarf after scarf ‘round and ‘round and ‘round…. He shook his head to clear it. “What?”

“Did you ever want pups?” Ruby peered up at him earnestly.

They were on patrol together—an easy task for the morning after a mission had run long the day prior. So far, they hadn’t encountered any Grimm. People-watching was all that there’d really been to do. Otherwise, Qrow would start to focus on the oppressive, heavy atmosphere of the city. The misery that hung in the air like a disease. The shadow of Atlas dripped off of the awnings of every building they passed.

Qrow frowned as he really registered the question, sharp heartache pulsing through his veins. “Nah.” He buried his hands in his front pockets.

“Really?” Ruby tilted her head. “I really thought—”

"Nope.”

“Huh.” Ruby’s piercing gaze finally fell to the sidewalk in front of them. She fiddled with the edge of her skirt, eyes unfocused.

For a blessed moment, Qrow thought that she’d dropped the subject.

Then,

“Not even if none of this had happened?”

He could feel her eyes drilling into the side of his head again, and stared resolutely forward instead of looking at her. Still, his shoulders pulled involuntarily up toward his ears—a tell. “Don’t know what you mean, kiddo.”

“If Salem never existed, you wouldn’t want them then, either?” Ruby’s voice lilted up at the end, and it left Qrow’s mind whirling around in circles, trying to figure out what thread she was pulling at.

He sighed. “If Salem never existed, I probably would’ve just gone back to the Tribe with Raven instead of sticking around to help Oz. So, no. Still no pups.”

“Oh.”

Qrow steeled himself, then met her bright, looking-glass eyes. “Why are you on about pups, anyway? Something you need to tell me?” He was teasing, of course, but also the mere thought had his heart skipping a step in his chest. There had better not be any of that for a _long, long_ time, he thought.

The desired reaction came in the form of Ruby’s face instantly screwing up in disgust. “Ew, no, Uncle Qrow! _Gross_!”

Qrow laughed when she shoved him hard; he readjusted to the sudden show of force easily, not even breaking his stride. “Then what are you doing, nosing about pups?”

Ruby pouted. “I was just curious!”

“Well, question answered. Never wanted pups. Never will,” Qrow said firmly, maybe a little more-so than he meant to.

Because, of course, he was lying through his teeth. Maybe harder than he’d ever lied before, and especially to Ruby. Because the truth was that he’d wanted pups more than _anything_ for most of his life. Since before his first heat, even. And once he’d fully presented, stuck in a little tent on the very edge of the territory the Tribe had seized control of for that month, looked after by an older omega midwife that had served as his nurse when he, himself, had been an infant…. Gods. The desire had multiplied a hundred times—a thousand times, after that. He’d talked Raven’s ear off about all of the pups he was going to have when they’d been little more than pups themselves, until she’d finally told him to shut his trap….

But so much had happened. The Tribe had discovered his semblance a couple of years before he presented fully, and then when he’d finally escaped to Beacon with Raven… _Salem_ … and then Summer—

No.

The truth was—if Salem had never even been a thought in his mind, if Summer had never disappeared without a trace, if a million things had never happened…

The truth was that it was never Ozpin or Ozpin’s mission that had motivated him to leave the Tribe for good. Even before he’d been let in on ( _some_ ) of the darkest secrets the world had to offer, he’d been planning to stay, scared to pieces at the thought of what he’d tell his sister. Because he loved Summer—loved _Tai_ —he wanted a family _so bad_ ….

Mercilessly, he strangled that train of thought until it was a gasping, cold and shrunken thing in the back of his mind once more. When he looked up, he found that they were nearly to the end of their patrol route, and it was beginning to rain—had Ruby really stayed quiet all that time? Or had he just failed to notice her attempts to get his attention? He berated himself internally. Some huntsman he was. If a Beringel had landed itself right in front of him, he doubted he would’ve even noticed.

He had to get his head on straight.

He stretched languidly, feigning nonchalance and trying not to wince as his spine popped loudly. “Welp. Good shift, kiddo.”

He suppressed a flinch at the way Ruby’s eyes fell on him again, calculating. He’d take her bubbly interrogation over her strange, solemn observation any day. “Yeah,” she said.

Just as quickly as she’d fallen into melancholy, she perked up again, spotting Weiss waiting with Clover at the beginning of the route, ready to switch shifts. “Love you, Uncle Qrow!” She shouted over her shoulder as she sprinted to meet her partner, likely to talk her ear off as though they hadn’t just seen each other a few hours ago.

Qrow sighed after her retreating back. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d _ever_ had that much energy. He was pretty sure he’d _always_ been too old for that. He jumped when Clover suddenly appeared in front of him, not sure where the other man had come from.

“Qrow.” Clover smiled, nodding at him by way of greeting.

Qrow flushed, trying desperately not to notice how nice the alpha smelled, even beneath all of the neutralizers that state-sanctioned huntsmen and huntresses were required to use here in Atlas. “Clover.”

“You looked pretty in-your-head while you were coming our way. Penny for your thoughts?” Clover tipped his chin at him, like he wasn’t aware of how alluring that made him look—how it made Qrow’s eyes drop to the sharp angle of his jawline, the length of his throat. Or maybe he was fully aware. Godsdammit. How close was his heat again?

Qrow swallowed. “I don’t think Penny is here right now,” he joked weakly.

Clover chuckled, warm. “I suppose she isn’t. That’s fine. Weiss and I have to patrol. Talk later, then?”

“Yeah,” Qrow muttered. He crossed his arms over his chest and tried to ignore the way his entire body warmed when Clover clapped him on the shoulder before marching away, calling for Weiss to join him. He tried not to stare at Clover’s retreating back.

He tried not to think about pups—a future he could’ve had once-upon-a-time.

He reminded himself to check his heat calendar when he got back to the barracks.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief Statement on Drama, Feel Free to Skip: So, obviously some stuff has happened in the fandom in the past few days, and I know some folks have decided to depart for their own health. Personally, I'll be sticking around. This fandom still generally makes me happy and I'm well aware that the vast, VAST majority of people here have done nothing wrong. I'm still disappointed and hurt over what happened last year, but I have no intention of saying much more than that--it's just exhausting at this point. So, yeah. Hopefully most writers / artists decide to stick around, but I understand for those who don't, and I wish them all well.
> 
> \---
> 
> ANYWAY, on to more fun matters! Here's the second chapter of this fic! I hope to post another one this week as well, because I crave that sweet, sweet validation. Trying to throw together some stuff for Fair Game Week as well (I'm very excited!!), but I have limited free time, so my goal is honestly just to hit three of the days, and I'll consider that good. 
> 
> Anyway (again), if you enjoy, please please comment and leave some kudos! It motivates me to write more, and I love hearing from you; thank you to everyone who commented on the first chapter, you're all gems and I love you <3
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> \---
> 
> ~WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER~  
> None (but read the tags, as those are general warnings for the entire fic!)

Qrow woke from the dream—the _memory—_ to warm lips on his neck.

Only half-awake, he reached up to wrap an arm around the broad shoulders of his mate, purring quietly. The action provoked a scrape of sharp teeth against his mating gland and he keened.

At the sound, the body atop his own pulled back and he found himself staring into his alpha’s eyes—now only thin rings of teal around dilated pupils. Clover smiled down at him. “Good morning.”

Qrow groaned quietly and rubbed at his tired face, “Mmm. Mornin’.”

Clover’s lips descended upon the fragile skin of his neck once more, switching to fluttering, ticklish kisses that made Qrow’s shoulders tremble with mirth now that he was properly (or semi-properly) awake. “What do you want to do today, Birdie?”

“See the girls?” Qrow whispered into the pillow, rolling his shoulders back to dislodge the alpha when he nipped a little too hard.

Clover dragged fingers through his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp, and Qrow sighed in bliss, feeling floaty. His eyes fell closed again without his say-so. “They’re on a mission right now, remember? And you’re due to slip into pre-heat this afternoon.”

Qrow frowned lightly, brows drawing together and worrying his features with well-worn creases that Clover hurried to smooth away. The gentle words took a minute to really compute. “Oh,” he said finally, “That’s today?”

“Yes, Birdie. Today. Did I wake you up too early?” Clover sounded concerned, but Qrow still couldn’t bring himself to drag his eyes open again. They were too heavy.

“Mm. No. ‘M tired. Heat,” Qrow tried to reassure his mate, but the scent of Clover’s apprehension in the air only redoubled.

“Go back to sleep,” Clover murmured, rubbing firmly down his naked sides. Qrow had a faint memory of waking in the middle of the night to strip, too hot to continue sleeping under the blanket and beside his space heater of a mate, otherwise.

With a great deal of effort, Qrow forced himself to look at Clover again, attempting to be at least somewhere near articulate enough to assuage the other’s worries. “No,” he tried, sounding the word out carefully through tingling lips, “You didn’t do anything wrong. Pre-heat… I get tired.”

Now that he was a little bit more a member of the land of the living, Qrow could remember that this was to be the first heat they would spend with each other since getting together—the first heat he’d spent with _anyone_ since Summer and Tai, who had gently and respectfully coaxed him through a panic heat after he’d been stabbed and almost died during their third year at Beacon. Clover had never seen him like this before… he tried to push down the spike of anxiety at the thought that the alpha might think less of him after these next few days. Logically, he knew that that would never happen, but years’ worth of endless worry and self-loathing could not be done away with so easily. The therapist he’d started seeing after they’d finally defeated Salem had already been working with him on it for a year and a half, now, and still it lingered….

Clover kissed him soundly, as though he could sense the dark turn Qrow’s thoughts had taken. Qrow leaned into the wet, the warmth, chasing those lips as they pulled away. A thread of _want_ pulsed through him. Pre-heat may be nearer than they’d initially anticipated. The sun’s rays trickled in through the window and fell across his body in the bed like a physical force pressing down on him as his skin began to respond to the slightest touch.

Clover trailed gentle fingers down his face, drawing his wandering gaze back up to meet his mate’s dark eyes. “I’m going to go make you something to eat, okay? Stay here and get a little more rest.”

Instantly, Qrow’s eyelids felt as heavy as ever. The warmth of the soft suggestion enveloped him like a fleece blanket, and he wondered, distantly, if he wasn’t _already_ in pre-heat. It certainly felt like it. He muttered something into the open air of the bedroom as he rolled over, not seeing the way Clover briefly froze in the doorway as Qrow slipped back into hazy, drifting dreams.

When he woke some indeterminate time later to a warm plate of pancakes being settled in his lap and Clover pressed against his back, he felt more at-peace than he could remember ever being. And when Clover’s lips moved against the shell of his ear, asking if he still wanted to go through with their plan, he could answer only in the affirmative. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! I know this one is short, which was why I was thinking of posting again in a few days. I hope you all have a lovely evening, and would greatly appreciate any comments you'd like to throw my way! Cheers <3

**Author's Note:**

> And that's the first chapter! Thank you all so much for reading!!! If you liked it, please don't be shy to leave a comment; they make me very happy <3
> 
> Sending out good vibes for Qrow in Saturday's episode~~~


End file.
